Folding spade for gun carriages



Dec. 22, 1953 MEYER EAL 2,663,22

FOLDING SPADE FOR GUN CAIRRIAGES Filed May 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Elrie L Elatmdaley y Richard E- Meyer Dec. 22 1953 R. E. MEYER ErAL FOLDING SPADE FOR GUN CARRIAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1951 INVENTORS Elrie L- Beurdsley Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITE SI I S A FOLDING SPADE FOR GUN CARRIAGES Richard E. Meyer,

Beardsley,

I (Granted under Title 3 r sec- The invention described in the specification and claims may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental pur- Poses without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates generally to emplacing members such as outriggers or trails for gun carriages and mounts.

In the development of modern field ordnance, and as a result of improved methods of fire control for, guns used in firing at high speed targets on the ground and in the air, the need for emplacements or trails to give greater stability to the gun carriage has become paramount. Single trails, and divergible or split trails are almost universally used to orient the gun carriage in a fixed position with respect to the ground when the gun is in firing position, so that a, major portion of the recoil is transmitted by the trail to the ground where it is subsequently absorbed. By this means greater accuracy of fire is obtained because of decreased mobility of the gun in firing.

When the gun is not in firing position, as for example, when it is being moved, the trail is raised from the ground, and if split trails are used, means are generally provided to lock the trails together, and some means such as a lunette or loop is attached to one of the trail ends so that the gun may be hitched to a prime mover to facilitate movement from place to place.

Generally prior art devices'comprise a spade member made integral with the rear end of the trail and disposed to extend .below' the trail so -that it may intrude into the ground when the gun is in firing position. A cavity or ditch sufii.

ciently large to accommodate the spade is dug, the spade member is then placed in the cavity and dirt is piled around it to provide a sturdy emplacement for the gun. However, when a sudden march order is given and the need for quickly moving the gun becomes imperative, the spades must be dug out and much useful time is lost in this operation 'at a time when such a delay may mean the loss of the gun. Also, when the gun is being towed by a prime mover, since the spade is made integral with the trail, and is so secured to the trail to extend below it in a fixed position, insuflicient clearance is provided between the spade point and the surface of the ground with the result that obstacles such as large stones, tree stumps and other impediments encountered on the march, may cause the gun to overturn.

The present invention, developed with the Falls Church, Va., and Orie L. Washington, United States of Americ D. 0., assignors to the a as represented by the S U. S. Code (1952),

2 view of eliminating the defects noted in the prior art devices, is drawn generally to a novel means for assembling a trail and spade device.

Specifically, the invention comprises a trail with pivotal means mounted upon the trail for revolving the spade thereabout from a first or firing position, to a second folded position when the gun carriage is being towed in order to prevent the spade from encountering obstructions which may lie on the ground in the path of the gun carriage.

More specifically there is disclosed a trail, a spade pivotally mounted on said trail so that said spademay be revolved from a first firing position to a second stowed position, primary latching means to lock the spade in either desired position, and second latching means for securing the first latch so that the folding spade may remain locked in first firing position, or in second folded position.

Additionally the invention comprises a second smaller or rock spade which is made integral with the trail and which may be used on extremely hard ground or in rocky areas where the use of the folding spade would not be practicable -A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rear section of the trail showing the latch mechanisms, folding spade and floater or bearing plate.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the folding spade and spade latching mechanism in firing position.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the folding spade look ing toward the right in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 showing the rock spade, the folding spade in stowed position (solid lines), the folding spade in firing position (dotted lines), and the latch mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the secondary latch or bolt mechanism for securing the first latch mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing castings welded to the trail and formed to accommodate bearing members for the folding spade shaft, and the shaft for the latching mechanism.

Referring to the drawings wherein the same numeral is used to designate lik parts in the various views, the gun carriage comprises trail I composed of a top plate and two side plates welded together and properly reinforced to form an emplacing member or outrigger. A trail end casting, a portion of which is'looped to form lunette 2 is appropriately attached by any convenient means to the trail, whereby the gun carfaceof the folding I Hi. At this-time, bers are. .lying upon theground .and floater 2| extending sidewardlyin. a .plane substantially in. horizontal alignment with the bottom of the trail;

ige may be hitched to a prime mover when e gun is being towed. A folding spade 3, itably embossed to form bearings 4 is mounted r rotation abput iaghorizontal laxis coincident Lth shaft '6. Shaft 6 is journaled in spade :aring 4, and in a bearing 5 formed in casting I which is welded to a hollowed out portion 7 the trail. The lower segment of casting 22 )mprises rock spade 23. (See Fig. "6.) Nut '7, ck washer la and cotter pin rtreme ends of shaft 6, hold :this :assembly toather. Suitable means ,(TIIOtiShOWIl) are pro-- .ded for occasionally lubricating bearings 4 and and shaft 6.

Folding spade 3 has 1 the upper surface forward of its axis=of rota- .on, wherein wear plates Ill are fitted to provide bearing surface for use which-will'be explained iter. Also provided, for a use later to be decribed, are pins or bosses 9 extending outwarda short distance from'the-outs'ideplates fern.- g the sides of the folding spade, and ata posiion just forward of the center of the side plates when the spade is in stowed position (see Fig.

;) nclined surface of the folding spade to bear tgainst the bottom plate of trail i when the .pade is in firing position to act as detents to LSSlSt the folding spade locking means, laterto )6 described, to maintain a fixed firing position. Folding spade 3 is locked in eitherstowed posision, when the gun carriage is being towed, or in iri'ng position by latching mechanism l2 now to 8 fitted Gnthe channeled out portion-s Stops H are also provided'on the rearward rearwardly of the folding spade, provides a greater bearing surface for the trail. Dirt is then piled around the spade to hold the entire gun carriage firmlyiinfiring position. I

In orderdzoz retain the. pa'de and latching mechanism in firing position, or in stowed position when the gun is being towed, additional or secondary latching means are provided as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Thislatching mechanism is located within .and-adjacentthe flat metal U-strip forming handle .13 and comprises a cylinder l1 and a bolt H3 :slideable within said cylinder. A spring ;l:.9 biases the :bolt iforwardly so that its forward .end rests .on .an .extension 1312 of handle l3 to maintain saidhandle and consequently the entire latching mechanism in locked position. When it is desired to release the latching mechanism jto rotate the folding spade into either stowed or pe descr'ibed. This latching mechanism comprises two side members Ma and a latch handle I 3 which is made from a fiat strip of metal bent to form a U. Theside 'members' I'Z-are triangular in shape with the apex rounded off and th'e'lower surface or base curved. The upper inner surface or apex portion of triangular members 12a are embossed to accommodatea -'shaft"l 4, and the ends of the'U which form handle 13 are Welded to the boss portions of the'side members so that by gripping bar !3a which protrudes from the rounded portion of handle '13, the entire latch mechanism including handle I3 and latch side members I20. may'be'pivoted'asa unit about shaft l4. Shaft I4 is journaled in bearings i5 set in castings liia which is welded to the upper plate of trail i (see Fig. 6,), formed in side members iZa-to accommodate pins 9 when the folding spade is rotated to-stowed position. g f

' The operation of the apparatus thus far described isas follows. Referring to Fig. folding spade in stowed position is delineated by solid lines. Pins 9 on the folding spade are'disposed, in slots !6 and serve-to maintain the spade in stowed position while the gun carriage is being towed. When it is desired to' place the gun in firing position, the ground is prepared by digging a ditch for the foldingspade. I The bar on handle "13 .15 gripped and the latching mechanism is rotated clockwise about shaft 14 until pins 9 are released'from slots l6 whereupon the folding spade is released to rotate counterclockwise about shaft 6 until the spade is in firing position. Stops H bear against the bottom .of trail I and the curved bottom portions .of side members l2a are slid onto the wearplates fitted intothe top surspade to .bear'uponlwear plates of course, the .emplacing mem- Slots 0r notches it are;

4, the a firing position, cam 20 secured to the rearmost end of bolt member [8 is caused to turn clockwise by exerting pressure in :a clockwise direction on cam fingerifla. This causes bolt 18 to .slide rearwardly in cylinder H against -'-the bias of spring l9 until the forward end of the bolt is free of the extension on handle l3 whereupon the latching mechanism is free to be rotated 'to unlatch the folding spade so that it may be placed'in its desired position. As soon as pressure'is removed from cam finger "2311, spring I9 forces the bolt forwardly to lock the folding spade in either stowed or in firingposition when the handle is in its lowered position.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that disclosedem'placing member with its novel folding spade is superior to prior art devices, since by the simple expedient of releasing the spade latching mechanism, and hitching the gun carriage to the primemover the folding spade may be removed speedily 'and with facility from the ground without the need for digging it out. Also in towing, the clearance between the spade and the ground is greater than in prior art devices and lessens'the'ch'anceof having the gun carriage run afoul of ,ObStlllCtlOllS lying on the ground. In addition the rock spade may be used where the condition of the ground is such as to render use of the folding spade impracticable.

Although theimproved folding spade has been disclosed in conjunction with a single trail gun carriage, the improvement may also be applied memberand rotatable in counterclockwise direction from afirst stowed position to a second firing position and latching means, pivotally mounted upon said emplacingnumber for rotation about an axis parallel to and located forwardly of said folding spade, adaptedto engage said spade and to lock said spade in either relative positionv 2. A gun carriageccmprising a rearwardly extending emplacing member. a folding spade pivotally mounted onsaid emplacing member and v rotatable from a first stowed-position to asecond firing position, a latch mounted on said emplacing member for rotation about an axis located forwardly of the axis of rotation of saidfol'ding spade, said latch having a slot for engaging a pin protruding from said folding spade to maintain said spade in stowed position, a handle secured to said latch, a cylinder mounted on said emplacing member and having a bolt slidable to engage and lock said handle, cam and lever means secured to said bolt and actuable to retract said bolt to disengage said handle whereby said latch may be rotated clockwise to release said folding spade for movement into firing position.

3. In a mobile gun carriage, an elongated trail, a spade, means mounting said spade trail for pivotal counterclockwise movement about an axis fixed tranversely of said trail from a first position folded against said trail, to a second downward emplaced position, a latch mounted on said trail or an axis parallel to and located forwardly of said spade axis for pivotal movement from a first, spade-locking position, to a second, spadereleasing position, a pin fixed on said spade, an 20 References Cited in the file of this paten UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 579,261 Driggs Mar. 23, 1 1,090,767 Voller Mar. 17, 1 1,310,145 Schneider July 15, 1 1,310,878 Schneider July 22, 1 2,459,159 Glassman Jan. 18, 1 

